The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hair braiding apparatus and more particularly to hand operated hair braiding apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Braiding machines have been used extensively in the textile industry. Such braiding machines are shown and described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 830,137 issued Sept. 4, 1906 to Diss; 1,398,444 issued Nov. 29, 1921 to Pfrunder; Re. 15,909 issued Sept. 2, 1924 to Pfrunder; and 3,421,406 issued Jan. 14, 1969 to Mitchell, et al. Such braiding machines have heretofore been complicated apparatus intended to be part of an overall machine, and ordinarily employ complex mechanisms.
A braiding machine intended specifically for braiding hair is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,996 issued Aug. 2, 1977 to Eronini, et al. The hair braider apparatus of this patent is a portable hair braider which is motor operated and uses a plurality of foot members for hair parters to divide the hair over a predetermined width of the scalp with hair grippers or grabbers then clamping the parted hair and rotating the strands for weaving them together to form a braid.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved hair braiding apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved hand operated hair braiding apparatus.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved economical hair braiding apparatus for use with human hair or the simulated hair of a doll or the like.